Volume 9, Issue 2, February 2012
Congrats to the following MIP students and postdocs who received awards for their presentations:
Alexa Dickson
1st Place Basic Oral Presentation
"CELF1-mediated mRNA decay regulates protein secretion and myogenesis and may be impaired in myotonic dystrophy"
Brendan Podell
2nd Place Basic Oral Presentation
"Alterations in the immunopathogenesis of tuberculosis associated with dietary-induced formation of advanced glycation end products"
Britta Wood
3rd Place Poster Presentation
"Development of microsphere immunoassays for the detection of domestic cat antibodies"
There were a total of 88 posters and 36 oral presentations at this year's event. Check out the rest of the MIP'ers at CVMBS Research Day Photos.
Effective Feb 1, Dr. Candace Mathiason was appointed as an Assistant Professor (Special Appointment) in MIP.
30 Years of Service
Barry Beaty
Edward Hoover
Robert Jones
25 Years of Service
John Belisle
Ian Orme
Barbara Powers
20 Years of Service
Bill Black
Susan Deines
Pete Justice
Michael Scherman
15 Years of Service
Torsten Eckstein
Vara Vissa
10 Years of Service
John Anderson
Karen Fleming
Brian Foy
Alexander Franz
Veronica Gruppo
Saul Lozano-Fuentes
Nicole Marlenee
Leila Mulder
Venugopal Pujari
Becky Rivoire
Lisa Wolfe
Dr. Moore receives Honorary Membership
Congratulations to Dr. Chet Moore for receiving Honorary Membership to the West-Central Mosquito && Vector Control Association at their Annual Meeting in Grand Junction, Feb 7 & 8.
Dr. Jeffrey Wilusz was named an ASM Branch Lecturer for 2012-2014, joining ~17 other microbiologists around the country who have been selected to participate in this seminar program for ASM branch organizations around the country.
Congratulations to Dr. Gary Mason on being elected to serve a 3-year term as the MIP
representative to Faculty Council. His term is from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2015. Thanks to all MIPers who make valuable contributions to the shared governance of our institution.
Congratulations to Dr. Ramesh Akkina for having his publication, "Systemic administration of combinatorial dsiRNAs via nanoparticles efficiently suppresses HIV-1 infection in humanized mice", (Mol Ther 2011 Dec), being selected and evaluated by Donald A Tomalia, a Member of the Faculty of 1000 (F1000). This places Dr. Akkina's work in the F1000 library of the top 2% of published articles in biology and medicine. The service is widely used to find significant new research articles, and the inclusion of his article should significantly increase its visibility.
In the News...
Dr. Sue VandeWoude and her laboratory were highlighted in the National Science Foundations's Feb 3 news release, "Domestic Cats, and Wild Bobcats and Pumas, Living in Same Area Have Same Diseases"
Dr. RoxAnn Karkhoff-Schweizer had her article entitled, Faculty Insight: Practice Makes Perfect" published the February 2012 CSU Publication, ‘Parents & Families’.
Charles Stauft, BS defended his PhD thesis entitled, "Western Equine Encephalitis Virus: Development and Application of a New World Alphavirus Transducing System" on January 30th. His advisor is Dr. Ken Olson.
Andrew Goodyear, BS defended his PhD thesis entitled, "Investigation of innate immunity, mucosal therapeutics and pathogenesis of select agent Burkholderia species" on February 2nd. His advisor is Dr. Steven Dow
Reem Al Mubarak, MS defended her PhD thesis entitled, "New Approaches to the Identification of Biomarkers of Infection and Nerve Damage in Leprosy" on February 10th. Her advisor is Dr. Varalakshmi Vissa
Drug Treatment Combined with BCG Vaccination Reduces Disease Reactivation in Guinea Pigs Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Shaobin Shang, Crystal Shanley, Megan Caraway, Eileen Orme, Marcela Henao-Tamayo, Laurel Hascall-Dove, David Ackart, Ian Orme, Diane Ordway and Randy Basaraba
Vaccine 30 (2012) 1572-1582
When someone mentions the terms ‘drugs’, the last person you would think of is Dr. Randy Basaraba, right? Well, it appears that Randy didn’t want to ‘just say no’ when it comes to playing with his little South American-bred companions (btw that refers to Cavia porcellus…..). The BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, like the Rockies/Broncos offenses, shows variable efficacy. So the BCG vaccine could use a little help – and maybe drugs are the answer. Some previous work has dabbled with the idea of using antibiotic drugs in combination with the vaccine as a one-two punch against the little rod-shaped demons. The work by Shaobin et al in this paper expands upon this ‘vaccine on drugs’ idea as well as previous work to assess the effect of a combination treatment in a guinea pig-TB infection model.
Randy, Ian, Diane and their band of merry men/women grabbed the most virulent strain of TB they had on hand and challenged guinea pigs who had been treated with BCG vaccine, a triple shot of TB drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide) or both. The BCG vaccine demonstrated some protection against Mtb, but as expected, that level of protection fell off quickly. Drug treatment on its own also helped, but the well-known biphasic response of Mtb to the drug due to the bacillus hiding in granulomas reduced its effectiveness. However if you give both BCG and the drug regimen together, it was much more efficacious as assessed by decreased lung involvement and other parameters. The theory is that the vaccine is potentiating the chemotherapy by two mechanisms: (1) to a lessening of the severity of the granulomas that the bacillus can induce and (2) affording a better overall Th1 response.
MIP Publications Late January - Early February 2012
Hutchinson EK, Avery AC, Vandewoude S. Environmental Enrichment during Rearing Alters Corticosterone Levels, Thymocyte Numbers, and Aggression in Female BALB/c Mice. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2012;51(1):18-24.
Avery AC. Molecular diagnostics of hematologic malignancies in small animals. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2012 Jan;42(1):97-110.
Shang S, Shanley CA, Caraway ML, Orme EA, Henao-Tamayo M, Hascall-Dove L, Ackart D, Orme IM, Ordway DJ, Basaraba RJ. Drug treatment combined with BCG vaccination reduces disease reactivation in guinea pigs infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Vaccine. 2012 Feb 21;30(9):1572-82.
Phetsuksiri B, Srisungngam S, Rudeeaneksin J, Bunchoo S, Lukebua A, Wongtrungkapun R, Paitoon S, Sakamuri RM, Brennan PJ, Vissa V. SNP Genotypes of Mycobacterium leprae Isolates in Thailand and Their Combination with rpoT and TTC Genotyping for Analysis of Leprosy Distribution and Transmission. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2012 Jan;65(1):52-6.
Arrigo NC, Briese T, Calisher CH, Drebot MA, Hjelle B, Leduc JW, Powers AM, Repik PM, Roehrig JT, Schmaljohn CS, Tesh RB, Weaver SC. Recommendations for Publication of Viral Genetic Data and Sample Access for Novel Viruses and Strains. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Feb;86(2):189-191.
Grover A, Troudt J, Arnett K, Izzo L, Lucas M, Strain K, McFarland C, Hall Y, McMurray D, Williams A, Dobos K, Izzo A. Assessment of vaccine testing at three laboratories using the guinea pig model of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2012 Jan;92(1):105-11.
Eisen RJ, Piesman J, Zielinski-Gutierrez E, Eisen L. What do we need to know about disease ecology to prevent Lyme disease in the northeastern United States? J Med Entomol. 2012 Jan;49(1):11-22.
Ciota AT, Drummond CL, Ruby MA, Drobnack J, Ebel GD, Kramer LD. Dispersal of Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from a wastewater treatment facility. J Med Entomol. 2012 Jan;49(1):35-42.
Elmore SA, Jenkins EJ, Huyvaert KP, Polley L, Root JJ, Moore CG. Toxoplasma gondii in circumpolar people and wildlife. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2012 Jan;12(1):1-9.
Schroeder WG, Cummings J, Duppereault M, Duteau N, Cantanero L, Schenkel AR. Low-cost aerosol exposure system for Guinea pigs. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2012 Feb;25(1):1-6.
To all our friends at The Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology~
Thank you for carrying a great tradition of philanthropy and volunteerism in our community and taking care of your neighbors in need by participating in Christmas Angels Among Us – 2011.
With your help, Angels Among Us program was able to help 875 families this Christmas season. We gave out 8835 toys to 1767 children, gifts to 269 residents in nursing homes, and 800 turkeys and holiday food baskets.
On behalf of all the families, children and seniors who had bright and happy holiday celebration - thank you for making it possible!
~Olga Duvall
Social Services Director
The Salvation Army
Please consider serving as a judge for the 2012 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase on April 17th. Judging will only take you ~ an hour and you may judge anytime between 10:30 and 12:30. To learn more about the event and to sign up to serve as a judge, please visit the CURC website.
It's that time again to sign up as a judge for the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair. The competition will be held at CSU on Thursday April 5th. You can sign up on line at the CSEF website by March 15!
MIP ROADTRIP to see the Rockies
With Tebow-time over, its time for all Colorado sports fans to start thinking Tulo-time! MIP has reserved a block of field level box seats to a Rockies game once again this year. The tickets are along the first base line in sections 116/ 117 to see the Colorado Rockies take on Albert Pujols and the LA Angels in interleague action on Friday, June 8th at 6:40PM at Coors Field in Denver. The price per ticket is $23 - an almost 50% savings over the face value.
We are only taking ticket reservations now - no need to come up with any cash until ~ April. All members of the extended MIP family are invited - so bring the spouse, bring the kiddies, bring the kiddies' spouses, etc. Tickets are going fast - so please email Jeff Wilusz ASAP if you'd like to reserve some tickets to this 'can't-be-missed' Departmental outing.
Thanks to Diane Ordway, the BSL-3 immunology TB3 suite now has a new BD FACSAria IIITM Cell sorter. The Cell sorter is available for anyone who would like to use it and Dr. Ordway has staff trained to help run it.
Click on image for larger photo
The Diagnostic Laboratory held their annual external advisory committee meeting on Feb 10. The meeting was a great success and served to highlight the many recent accomplishments of the unit. Participants in the meeting are pictured above.
Deadline: March 19 at 5PM
Several changes thave been made to the CRC process this year. It is strongly suggested you review the FY13 CRC proposal instructions carefully.
MIPers and Microbiologists of all Ages - MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The Spring meeting of the Rocky Mtn Branch of the American Society for Microbiology will take place on April 20th (Fri evening plenary talk) and 21st (full day Saturday 9-5PM talk and poster sessions). This is a fantastic opportunity (aka supportive, high yield environment) for grad students, postdocs and undergrads to present their research projects in a poster or oral format. As the premier microbiology department in the state, I think that MIP should have a strong showing at this meeting. I hope that you agree.
Here are the specifics:
When: April 20th and 21st (all student/postdoc talks will take place on Saturday 4/21; its OK to just come for the Saturday session)
Where: The University of Denver
Registration deadline: TBA
Saturday Plenary Speaker: Dr. Yousif Shamoo, Rice University ‘Experimental Evolution as a Tool for Completing the Link Between Genomics, Biochemistry and Prediction in Antibiotic Resistance’
Celebrate the accomplishments of undergraduate researchers at the Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium being held this year on April 17 with an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 19.
Last day to register: March 23, 2012 at Noon
Visit the CURC Website for more information.
Scholarship applications are due by 11:00 pm, Thursday March 1st. The link for the CSUSA online application can be found at the Student Financial Services website. IMPORTANT: Microbiology scholarships also require an essay on "Why you chose microbiology as your major, what experiences and/or background you have in the field, and what your professional goals are after you earn your bachelor's degree in microbiology." The essay must be typed and not exceed one single page in length. The essay should be mailed to the MIP Scholarship & Awards Committee, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 1682 Campus Delivery, or hand-delivered to the Microbiology Office in Room B116 Microbiology Building. All essays must be received by 5:00 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012.
The annual collegiate recycling tournament kicks off Feb. 5 and will run through March 31. Colorado State will compete among hundreds of universities and colleges across the country and the world to promote recycling and waste-reduction practices on campus.
In 2011, CSU placed 21st among more than 600 colleges and universities participating in RecycleMania. As a campus, CSU's recycling rate was more than 53 percent.
Over an 8-week period, schools will report recycling and trash data on a weekly basis. Largest amount of recyclables wins, so start recycling and make Colorado State University number one!
Director of Rocky Ford - The search committee has begun advertising
Clinical Pathologist - Search has been initiated
RNA Virologist - Search has been initiated
Best Wishes Christine!
We are sorry to report that Christine Bartholomew has accepted a full-time Admin Asst III position with CSU's Division of Enrollment and Access and her last day with the department was Friday, February 10th. We will miss her excellent work and cheerful attitude, but wish her well in her new position and all her future endeavors!
The 4th Floor of Microbiology is currently undergoing a major remodeling project. Check out some of the demolition photos.
"There isn't a person anywhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can."
~ Henry Ford
CSU Facilities installed a makeshift ‘bucket-hose-garbage can’ solution to contain a nasty leak in the plumbing above Erica Suchman's office until it could be fixed properly.
Alternative Captions
- Erica reveals the source of our legendary MIP moonshine beverage
- Doesn't Erica know that its illegal in Colorado to collect rainwater?
- Wonder if she has a sign on her desk ‘The Flush Stops Here’ next to the tootsie rolls?
- When asked by Facilities if she had any ideas on how to fix the problem, do you think she said ‘Bucket – I'm outa here’?
- Submit your own
Today@Colorado State article describing the collaborative feline disease research being done at CSU...
Notice anything strange about the article? Click the article to see a larger image.
The department now provides the opportunity for faculty, staff and students to apply for travel grants to promote their career development through the presentation of a scientific abstract or through participation in a relevant symposium/workshop. Funding will be provided by the department to offset associated costs.
The Travel Grant Instructions and Application are posted on the department website.
- Twitter Fan?
Well then follow @NIAIDFunding to get the latest and greatest news, tips, and funding opportunities.
- Looking for a grant opportunity in the mucosal vaccine field?
Check out a call for R01 apps on enhancing cellular immunity in the female reproductive tract
- Note some potentially important salary changes on NIH grants
Due to Congressional action, please note that the cap for individual salaries has been reduced $20,000. The maximum allowable salary now is $179,700.The NRSA predoctoral stipend levels is now $22.032 and the starting NRSA postdoctoral salary is $39,264. For additional information, please check out the NIAID Stipend Levels.
- Need a reagent for your research?
Don't forget to check out the public research reagent repositories maintained by the NIAID.
Superheroes who wear masks (e.g. Batman, the Lone Ranger, Nacho Libre, ….) have been a part of our cultural lore for years. Now it's time to unmask some of the superheroes we have around the MIP Department! Can you guess the hard working tech in the photo below? Submit your guess
New Grant Awards
Delphi Chatterjee, "Development and Validation of Point-of-Care-Tests for TB", Univ of Utah
Libin Shi, "Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Lipoarabinomannan In Vivo", NIAID
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri |
| 1 | 2 | |||
| 5 | 6 Graduate Seminar 12-noon Path 103 |
7 Microscopy Seminar 8am DMC 101 |
8 | 9 |
| 12 S B |
13 P R |
14 RI E |
15 |
16 G K |
| 19 | 20 Graduate Seminar 12-noon Path 103 |
21 Microscopy Seminar 8am DMC 101 |
22 | 23 |
| 26 | 27 |
28 Microscopy Seminar 8am DMC 101 |
29 | 30 |
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